Figueiredo puts Benavidez’s UFC title hopes to sleep

Las Cruces flyweight suffers first-round defeat

“Perennial contender,” as Joseph Benavidez was characterized on UFC radio commercials last week, is not how the former Las Cruces Bulldawg longs to be remembered.

Saturday night in Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates, however, Benavidez’s fourth and almost certainly last shot at the UFC flyweight title ended in a devastating defeat.

Brazil’s Deiveson Figueiredo, dominant from the opening seconds, defeated Benavidez by first-round rear naked choke on the UFC’s “Fight Island.”

The result officially was a technical submission because Benavidez, stubbornly, did not tap out — going to sleep instead.

Now 35, Benavidez is 28-7 for his career. Figueiredo is 19-1.

The fight was a rematch of a Feb. 29 meeting in Norfolk, Virginia, won by Figueiredo via second-round TKO. But because Figueredo failed to make the 125-pound limit, the flyweight title vacated by Henry Cejudo was available only to Benavidez that night.

The result further was tainted by a head butt delivered by Figueiredo that stunned Benavidez shortly before the finish.

Saturday in Abu Dhabi, Figueiredo dropped Benavidez with a right hand 20 seconds into the fight. Benavidez spent the next few minutes desperately fending off choke attempts.

Benavidez finally got to his feet, but twice was dropped again. After the second knockdown, Figueiredo again secured a rear naked choke.

This time, Benavidez could not escape. Benavidez twice fought and lost to Demetrious Johnson in flyweight title fights. Now he has lost twice to Figueredo with the title on the line.

He was a two-time state wrestling champion at Las Cruces.

NM IN THE CAGE: Albuquerque bantamweight Ray Borg is the latest New Mexican to get a pandemic-era MMA fight.

Borg (13-5) is matched against UFC newcomer Nathan Maness (11-1) on an Aug. 1 UFC card at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Apparently, Borg is not impressed by Maness’ glossy record — or by the quality of the Kentucky fighter’s previous opposition.

“August 1st we are going to show that there are levels to this (sport),” Borg posted on Instagram.

Borg is joining Holly Holm, his former teammate at Jackson-Wink, on the Aug. 1 card. Holm (13-5) is matched against Mexico’s Irene Aldana in the main event.

Borg now trains at Jackson’s Acoma, which is not affiliated with JacksonWink. The fight against Maness will be Borg’s third of 2020, following a win over Brazil’s Rogerio Bonterin and a split-decision loss to Seattle’s Ricky Simon.

In addition, thus far in the summer and beyond, the New Mexico MMA lineup is the following:

Friday: Greg Fischer (10-1), a Maryland bantamweight who trains part-time at Jackson-Wink, vs. Jimmy Flick (13-5) on an LFA card in Sioux Falls.

Saturday: California featherweight Aaron Pico (5-3), who trains at JacksonWink, vs. Solo Hatley Jr. (8-2) on a Bellator card at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Aug. 4: Santa Fe flyweight Jerome Rivera (9-2) vs. Mexico’s Luis Rodriguez (11-1) on Dana White’s Tuesday Contender Series in Las Vegas.

Aug. 8: Moriarty welterweight Tim Means (29-12-1) vs. Argentina’s Laureano Staropoli (9-2) on a UFC card in Las Vegas. Also, Rio Rancho featherweight Steve Garcia (11-4) vs. Peter Barrett (11-3) of Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Aug. 15: Albuquerque bantamweight John Dodson (21-11) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (11-4) of Tbilisi, Georgia on a UFC card in Las Vegas.

Sept. 5: Former Albuquerquean Nicco Montaño (4-3) in a bantamweight fight against Oklahoma City’s Julia Avila (8-1).

This fight was originally scheduled for Aug. 8 but was postponed because Montaño’s coach tested positive for COVID-19 before an LFA card on July 10.

Did we miss anyone? Probably.

Is there more to come? Almost certainly.